Today we'll conclude 1 Samuel with chapters 29 through 31, as well as Psalm 18 and 123 through 125. Scripture has been going back and forth revealing the dichotomy between the character of Saul and David. The providential hand of the Lord will continue to direct and guide David, and it will ordain the end of Saul's reign and life. In reflecting upon their lives, we'll get to ask ourselves: When even the worst is happening to us or to those we love, do we see ourselves turning to sin or do we find an opportunity to gain our strength from the Lord?

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 29-31 + Psalm 18, 123-125

Scripture Read:

1 Samuel 29:6-7

1 Samuel 30:18-20, 23-25

Acts 13:22

1 Samuel 31:3-6

Psalm 124:8

Psalm 125:2

Psalm 18 (Most--It's one of my favorites!)

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Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

This is the Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today

we'll conclude First Samuel with

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chapters 29 through 31, as well

as Psalm 18 and 123 through 125.

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Scripture has been going back and

forth revealing the dichotomy between

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the character of Saul and David.

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The providential hand of the Lord will

continue to direct and guide David.

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And it will ordain the end of Sal's Reign

and life in reflecting upon their lives.

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We'll get to ask ourselves when

even the worst is happening

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to us or to those we love.

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Do we see ourselves turning to

sin, or do we find an opportunity

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to gain our strength from the Lord?

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Even though it's an unlikely place

to find refuge, David has been among

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the Philistines for over a year.

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Their ruler, Aish believes David

has been fighting battles for them,

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but really David has been wiping

out other rogue enemies of Israel.

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Still Aish believes in David's

truly upright and honest character.

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And he expects that David will go

out to battle with him even as the

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Philistines attack his own people.

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The Israelites in chapter 29, the

Philistines are setting out, and we

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don't know what was in David's heart

or his intent at this point, but I'd

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imagine as they marched, there was an

internal battle going on within him.

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And maybe that he was praying for God

to release him from this obligation

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in full evidence that sometimes

God uses the rejection of people

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to direct us on a better path.

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Some of the Philistines complained

to Aish saying, Hey, this is the

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guy that they sing about in Israel,

saying Saul has struck down his

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thousands, and David has 10 thousands.

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What if in battle he proves to be a

traitor and is loyal to his people.

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We don't want him coming with us.

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Aish relays the message to David and says,

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as the Lord lives, you have been honest,

and to me it seems right that you should

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march out and in with me in the campaign

for I have found nothing wrong in you from

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the day of your coming to me to this day.

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Nevertheless, the Lords

do not approve of you.

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So go back now and go peaceably

that you may not displease

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the Lords of the Philistines.

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David takes a moment to defend

himself and then heads back.

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It is so cool to me that David has waited

for God to make him king and even chosen

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multiple times to not take Saul's life,

and now God removes him completely from

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the battle that will end Saul's life.

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No one can accuse David of

fighting his way to the throne.

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In chapter 30, David and his men make

the three day journey back to Zig

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Legg, where they discover that the

Amalekites had come and burned it down

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and taken captive all who were in it.

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They didn't kill anyone,

but carried them away.

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Do you remember the Amalekites?

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That was who Saul was supposed

to completely obliterate.

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But he did not obey God's command.

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It was at that moment that God determined

to take the throne from him because he

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revealed he wasn't a man after God's

heart, willing to do the will of the Lord

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as Acts 1322 tells us is true of David.

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David's men are so devastated.

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They consider stoning him.

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All of their wives and sons and daughters

are gone, and their camp is burning.

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But in verse six, we read.

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David strengthened himself

in the Lord has God.

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Next he has Abby Ather, the

priest bring him the ephod.

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And he consults, God should I pursue them?

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God affirms this decision

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and confirms it will end favorably David

and 600 of his men journey to pursue them.

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It's a 13 mile journey, and when

they get close, 200 of the men

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are too exhausted to continue.

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They stay behind with the baggage.

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I see God's providential hand once again

and that they found an Egyptian who's

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been left behind by his amalekite master.

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He says he got sick, so

they left him behind.

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The Lord may have even

caused the sickness.

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David is kind to him.

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He feeds him, and when the

Egyptian is renewed, David asks

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questions and gets some good intel.

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Upon reaching the Amalekites, they

find they're in full celebration

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mode, but David strikes them

down and verse 18 tells us.

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David recovered all that the Amalekites

had taken and David rescued his two wives.

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Nothing was missing whether small

or great sons or daughters spoil

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or anything that had been taken.

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David also captured all

the flocks and herds.

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God completely restored and

protected what they had.

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Yes, their camp was burned, but

they got everything back as well

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as the spoil the Amalekites had

taken from many other people.

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Perhaps the Lord used this as

a distraction to ensure David

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was away from the battle and

not involved in Saul's demise.

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If you recall, when David's men

first gathered around him, it

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said many of them were bitter in

soul, in distress, or in debt.

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And it's probably some of those

in debt, that scripture now calls

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wicked and worthless fellows because

they were returned to these 200

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men that have stayed behind and

they say, we went out to battle.

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You don't deserve any of this spoil.

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I so admire David's reasonable

and gracious leadership.

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And David tells them,

God has given us this.

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We're gonna share with everyone

whether they went out to battle

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or stayed with the baggage.

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Everyone gets an equal share

and he made it a statute and a

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rule for Israel From then on,

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of course, the obvious interpretation

is that David is fair and as he's

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been on the run for his life for.

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About a decade.

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Many people have been kind to

him and have provided for him,

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and it's made him generous, not selfish,

but you may know that sometimes I

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have some unique applications and I

think we can get some real validation

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for stay-at-home moms or the work

that wives do from this story.

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So many validate.

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Men or the provider of the family

going out and getting a paycheck.

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That is so godly and important, but

there is nothing less than about the

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one at home Maintaining and stewarding

what God has already provided and making

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sure that it stretches as far as it can.

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I really appreciate the way

that David honors every role

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that people served.

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And finally, scripture gives, us a brief

account here about the end of Saul's life.

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In 31 3, the battle

pressed hard against Saul

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and the archers found him and he

was badly wounded by the archers.

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Then Saul said to his armor bearer,

draw your sword and thrust me through

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with it, lest these uncircumcised come

and thrust me through and mistreat me.

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But his armor bearer would

not for he feared greatly.

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Therefore, Saul took his own sword

and fell upon it, and when his

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armor bearer saw that Saul was dead.

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He also fell upon his

sword and died with him.

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Thus Saul died and his three sons

and his armor bearer and all his

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men on the same day together,

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the Philistines come cut off

Saul's head, strip his armor and

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sanded the news throughout the

land that he's been defeated.

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Because they believed at this time

that the battles were indicative

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of a war going on with the gods.

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They bring Saul and his son's bodies

into a pagan temple and display

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them on the wall in kindness.

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The people of Jbe Gilead determined

to risk their lives marching about 12

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miles each way to take their bodies

And bury them honorably instead.

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It's because of the kindness that

Saul showed them in one Samuel 11.

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I know that the circumstances of

Saul's death can raise some questions.

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It's never okay to take the

life of someone made in the

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image of God, even oneself.

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But I also believe our God is gracious

and merciful to those experiencing

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emotional, spiritual, or mental

torment, and I have experienced deep

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comfort from the Lord as I have grieved

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Speaker 42: a loved one

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Speaker 44: psalm 1 23 through 1 25 are

brief, and I'm just gonna share a couple

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verses in 1 24 8 our help is in the name

of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

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The Psalmist knows if God can make

the world, he can surely come to

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our aid and in 1 25, 2, as the

mountains surround Jerusalem.

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So the Lord surrounds his people

from this time forth and forevermore.

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He was their dwelling place then

and he still wants to be now.

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Psalm 18 is one of the passages I have

clung to for strength as my husband has

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been plagued with intense exhaustion for

most of our marriage, and I've had to work

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and do much for our children without him.

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The Lord has brought me so

much encouragement through

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finding my strength in him.

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And being grateful that he does

equip me for what he calls me to.

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I'm gonna read a section and then I'll

pray some of it over us because who

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needs to rely more on the strength of

the Lord than a mom who sacrificially

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gives of herself day after day.

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I love you, oh Lord, my strength,

the Lord is my rock and my

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fortress, and my deliver, my God,

my rock and whom I take refuge.

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My shield and the horn of

my salvation, my stronghold.

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I call upon the Lord who is worthy

to be praised, and I am saved

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from my enemies in my distress.

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I called upon the Lord to my God.

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I cried for help from his temple.

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He heard my voice and my

cry to him reached his ears.

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He sent from on high.

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He took me.

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He drew me out of many waters.

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He rescued me from my strong

enemy and from those who hated me

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for they were too mighty for me.

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They confronted me in the day of my

calamity, but the Lord was my support.

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He brought me out into a broad place.

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He rescued me because he delighted in me.

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He made my feet like the feet of a

deer and set me secure on the heights.

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He trains my hands for war so that

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

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You have given me the shield of your

salvation and your right hand supported

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me, and your gentleness made me great.

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I'll use the rest of the

chapter for our prayer.

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Lord, we thank you that you have

the power to rescue us and that you

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do it because you delight in us.

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I pray that we would be deeply

convinced of that in our souls.

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David says, you rewarded him for his

righteousness and cleanness of his hands,

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and we ask that same would be true of us.

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Help us to keep your ways and not depart

from you, that your rules and statutes

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would be before us and that we would be

blameless, keeping ourselves from guilt.

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That you could reward us

for our righteousness.

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You show yourself

merciful to the merciful.

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So we pray that our children would extend

mercy to others with the blameless.

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You show yourself blameless.

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May they be blameless and pure before you.

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You save the humble, but bring

down those with haughty eyes.

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Fill our children with

humility before you.

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And may they experience the way

that you light their path like

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a lamp and lighten the darkness.

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Give them the strength to

follow you wherever you call,

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because your way is perfect.

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And your word proof's true.

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We thank you that you are a shield

for all who take refuge in you,

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that you equip us with strength

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and that your gentleness makes us great.

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Whatever you're calling us to today.

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Renew us and strengthen us,

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that we would wholeheartedly be

devoted to your purposes in our lives.

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Thank you, Jesus, for being

our rescuer and our redeemer.

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Amen.